i followed nature's law (as i broke in two)
by Seph Meadowes
Summary: He repeats his House words, Sanctimonia Vincet Semper. Malfoys will always conquer. He remembers the girl with red hair in the bookshop and feels a deep longing in his chest cavity like a dying, hairy heart aching to be healed.
1. un

He's four years old when his grandfather tells him the story. Lucius Malfoy spins a story of a mystical creature that can breathe fire and wield magic no Wizard or Witch can achieve. This creature is feared and revered in equal measure, its strength, beauty and mystery mentioned in myths and legends. This creature is so powerful, he changes his form and becomes a man.

"But why would he do that?"

His young mind cannot quite comprehend why a fearsome creature would give up his form that inspired such awe to become a mere Wizard. Not that being a Wizard is an ordinary thing to begin with but is not as frightening and great as its original body. He thinks the creature foolish. Why become human?

His grandfather smiles at him and as Scorpius' little fingers traces the image of the creature in the book they were reading. The silver scales glisten under the light from the chandelier, the creatures multi-coloured eyes blinking at him almost with real sentience. Its tail swings lightly back and forth on the page, playful, almost baiting. Scorpius tries to pin it down with his hands and the creature gives a soundless little snarl that makes the young boy laugh.

His grandfather pats his head and continues the story.

"And so the creature becomes a man for he found love in a young, beautiful witch. He marries her and they move across the seas to a new land, where they adopt a new name. _Mal Foi_ , bad faith, to remember what has been lost and what is yet to be lost." Lucius traces the dragon on their family crest and wonders. "From fire we come and to fire we return."

* * *

He's six years old when he realizes there's something not quite right with him. Although he can see to a certain degree how people react to his family, he never quite thinks there might be more to them than just past mistakes in allegiances. He doesn't think anything is amiss until one noon in the property's gardens. He's on a play date arranged by their parents with his cousin Gabriel Zabini and mouthy, girly Veronica Nott.

Ronnie insists they play a game where they pretend she is the princess in the tower in need of saving and Gabe is the prince while he is the dragon. He declines being the prince because he doesn't want to kiss Ronnie and Gabe doesn't really mind having to. He and Gabe mock fight with his cousin using a stick as a makeshift sword while Scorpius lets out loud roars and pretends to breathe fire. Then for a second it happens.

He imagines it, breathing fire unto Gabe, his skin and hair burning as the glorious heat destroys him. He imagines his own eyes a kaleidoscope, his skin covered in silver scales. He imagines a larger, greater form. He imagines flying into the air and becoming a god.

He hears for a second what sounds like a deep chuckling, like something large and buried underneath the earth is amused at his imaginings. And it makes the hair at his nape stand on end. He feels a warmth underneath his skin he's never felt before and he feels restless, discontent. And then it's gone like a mirage. He is just a boy and it's all in his head.

"Scor," Ronnie shakes him cautiously. "Are you there?"

He blinks and shrugs off her touch. "Yeah. Back off, Ronnie."

Ronnie just sticks out her tongue. "Whatever. I'm tired of this game already."

"No kisses for you, Gabe," Scorpius tells his cousin laughingly. "Too bad."

Gabe just shrugs, unbothered still.

* * *

He has the same recurring dream for years. A world on fire, everything consumed by flames, the heat singing a melody to him only he understands. And among the destruction, he walks untouched. He is a god among the terror around him

He can vaguely hear that dark little voice laughing uproariously, victorious. And he wonders.

He wakes up each time, covered in sweat, his breathing labored.

Is it a nightmare? He can never quite label it as so.

* * *

He sees Lily Luna Potter for the first time at the age of eleven and he's getting his schoolbooks at Flourish and Blotts with his mother. The book shop is packed with students eager to get their shopping done and he watches from the second floor as the Potter family walks in. The mood in the room instantly changes, awe and fear in equal measure, surrounds the war hero and his family.

Scorpius watches fascinated as he sees the little girl in the light yellow dress. Her hair is as bright and red as fire and he cannot look away no matter how hard he tries. She's so small with skin as delicate as porcelain and he clenches his fists with an unfamiliar feeling of possessiveness overtakes him.

 _Belongs to you._ That dark little voice whispers. _Take, take, take._

 _No._ He resists it. _No, no, no._

Still, he continues to watch the bright little girl go for the fairy tale books at the back of the shop with the soft carpets and little plastic chairs. She pulls a book out from the lowest shelf and sits down cross-legged on the carpet, the thin book in her hands, fingers tracing colourful drawings. He remembers his father's favourite tale by Beadle the Bard, _The Warlock's Hairy Heart_ for some reason. It was a tale by a Wizard so proud he decides love was worthless and locks away his heart in a glass case to become a monstrous thing in the darkness.

And he used to wonder, why his father couldn't have liked a happier tale like _The Fountain of Fair Fortune_. But clinging to the wooden railing there on the second floor and staring down at the little girl, he finally understood. And he thinks to himself, _maybe my heart will go hairy and beastly too_...e _ven with it still being in my chest._

* * *

He meets Rose Weasley and Albus Severus Potter on the Hogwarts Express. He's already sharing a compartment with Ronnie and Gabe (which they acquire because her older brother, Theo, gets it for them and since he is the current Slytherin Prince, a Prefect and a shoe-in for Head Boy, no one contested) but the familiar restless is sparking his blood again and the only way he can calm it these days is by running it out and since he is on a train he can only walk, forcing himself to take smaller and slower steps. He glances into the foggy glass of the compartment doors as he passes by and nearly trips when he sees a familiar shock of red.

He remembers the little girl at the bookshop and that sudden burst of invigoration he feels when he thinks of her returns. He forces himself to hold back and not destroy the door of the compartment with his bare hands (like he is that strong or anything) and calmly slides it open.

He is greeted by a red-haired girl but she is not the girl in the bookshop. Her hair is curlier, wilder, her eyes more brown than green, her skin more rose than porcelain. Fire but not the one he craves. The life inside of him goes back to its cave.

He stands awkward at the doorway as the other boy with messy, dark hair and those glasses, looking like the miniature version of his father, stares at him and asks, "Aren't you that boy in the bookshop?"

He is surprised. He hadn't noticed the other boy at the shop, his focus on someone else. Yet ever the clever student of his grandfather's, he replies, "That depends on why you're asking."

"I just noticed you, that's all," The boy returns. "You seemed really distracted then."

He hides a smirk. A subtle dig, if any that is. And he thinks the Sorting will be interesting this year. Oh, he knows about the Hat ( _Knowledge is power_ , His grandfather likes to say).

He moves into the compartment and takes the seat beside the other boy and offers his hand. "My name's Scorpius-"

"Malfoy," Green eyes are almost bright with amusement. "I am aware of who you are."

He readies himself for an insult, a curse, anything to remind him of sins he'd never been a part of, just stories told in whispers and over bottles of expensive scotch as all the adults think he's asleep in bed and not hiding to listen in but none come.

"Al Potter," The boy takes his hand and shakes it firmly. "Nice to meet you."

"It's Albus Severus Potter," The girl across them finally speaks, much to her cousin's glare. She's already dressed in her uniform and this amuses Scorpius. "I'm Rose Perdita Weasley."

He doesn't shake her hand but kisses her knuckles lightly like his Grandmother instructed. "Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy."

Al lets out a snort. "Ugh, did you know about the school rivalry our dads had?"

"In passing,"

His father doesn't like to talk about the past all too much, stating that some things are best left over and done.

"Apparently they had some kind of pissing contest when we were born on who could come up with the worse name for their son and guess who won?"

"Neither of you," Rose scrunched up her nose. "Both your names suck."

"Rosie, come on!" Al retorts. "His name is obviously better than mine. He's named after a bloody scorpion in the sky!"

"Language!" She corrects him.

"A constellation!" Al continues to fight his cause, turning to him. "Your name is better, right? I'm named after two dead wizards who were a little bit shady if you ask me."

He lets out a laugh, unable to keep his amusement over their antics any longer. Please, _please_ let one of them be in Slytherin. He can just imagine Ronnie and Gabe bickering with them and imagines life in their new House would never be boring.

He gets his wish.

* * *

Their first night at the castle, he gets all his fellow First Year Slytherins in the Common Room late in the night when everyone has gone to bed, their huddled on the green carpet beside the leather couches and their only source of light is the lightly glowing orb Ronnie's father gives her as a going away present. They've collected the votes and Gabe is doing the counting and tallying.

Albus Severus Potter wins as worst name ever according to their little group of four.

He pretends to be upset at losing but it's all just a ruse because Al is bizarrely ecstatic.

* * *

Slytherin House doesn't have a lot of students. The majority of the Weasleys were in Gryffindor except for the Half-Delacour ones that all ended up in Ravenclaw. Al is the only one in his family to be sorted in Slytherin, the first Potter _ever_ as the old family has managed to have every born-Potter be sorted in Gryffindor since the Founding of Hogwarts.

He finds it odd that Al is less interested in his family than he is as he's been raised to understand the histories of his old family and its many ups and downs through the centuries. The Malfoy name has prestige and blight to it. Very few people do not know of them.

"Do you know your House words?" He asks Al, one night in the common room.

"I..." Al blinks owlishly. "House words of Slytherin?"

"No, of House of Potter," He replies. "Your family is very old. Not as old as mine but you had history before your father came along, Al."

"I..." Al looks speechless. "I just never thought of that. My father wasn't raised by his parents. He doesn't know much about his family."

"You can just read it all in a book," He shrugs. "We have plenty at the manor about the old families. Lineage is important to us."

The other boy begins to tense. "You mean...all that blood purity stuff?"

He remembers seeing the list of the Sacred Twenty-Eight for the first time and his Grandfather telling him that "It's all in the blood _"_.

"No, of course not," He holds Al's gaze till the dark-haired boy relaxes after seeing his sincerity. "What I mean by lineage, I meant family, your history."

Purity may have been a misquided notion but _blood will always conquer_.

"I never hear much, just about Dad and my grandfather, James," Al admits. "I never thought they'd be more."

He is amazed at how Harry Potter never grows more curious to dig into his family. This is part of who he was, who his family is. Keeping it all from his children is almost a crime.

"There is, Al," He almost rolls his eyes at his friend. " _Animo et astutia_."

"What's that?"

"By Courage and Craft," He smiles. "Your House words."

* * *

Helping Al trace his lineage becomes his new hobby. He has his grandparents send books and books on the old families, some even ancient diaries for them to devour within weeks. Ronnie and Gabe are less interested as their childhood's been compromised of such studies and thus, to them it's a waste of time. Al is fascinated and a little disturbed by what he learns.

The Potters are not Sacred-Twenty Eight but they had been old, wealthy and respectable and-

"My great-grandmother was a Slytherin!" Al exclaimes one day as he traces his family tree in one of the books, seated on his bed with Scorpius. "Dorea Black married Charlus Potter...and wait, isn't your grandmother a Black?"

He waits for it to sink in for his friend.

"Wait, doesn't that make us...cousins?"

"We're all cousins," Ronnie pipes up from her corner of their dorm, lying on Scorpius' bed, her head hanging off the foot of the mattress. "It's best not to think about it."

"That is a dark and deep hole you do not want to jump into, Potter," Gabe pipes up from his bed, doing his Potions essay earlier than needed. "The trauma will be too much and you'll end up marrying a Muggle."

"What's wrong with Muggles?" Al pipes up.

The concept of Blood Purity is a sore subject to bring up. The majority of their little group practically born into aristocracy, it's sometimes hard to explain certain things with their friend whose father literally killed the concept of Pureblood Supremacy. And since Al's beginning of learning his House's history and gaining some pride with it, he is especially touchy about his Muggleborn grandmother.

"Nothing, except she wouldn't think you're amazing because she'll have no idea on why your father is so revered." Gabe easily deflates the situation. "She'll be like _Potter Who_?"

"More like _Doctor Who_ ," Al says with a grin and gains looks of confusion in return. He sighs. "I will get a telly up and working here someday, I swear it."

* * *

Christmas comes and he's sharing a compartment with his friends. Al invites Rosie to sit with them but the Gryffindor chooses to hang out with her Housemates, citing, "I'll see you at the Burrow, anyway".

He thinks this is a shame because she and Ronnie have yet to meet and something tells him it will be something. Good or bad, he's not quite sure yet.

Ronnie is regaling them with her family's upcoming vacation to the Alps which they only half listen to with Scorpius and Al playing Exploding Snap and Gabe doing advanced reading for Charms.

"-and if only Theo would stop moping so much then this trip will be perfect."

"Why is your brother moping?" Al automatically asks.

"He wanted to stay at Hogwarts for the Hols for some reason."

"Probably has a bird he wants to be alone with," Gabe mutters. "Couldn't blame him."

Ronnie smacks him on the arm. "My brother does not have a girlfriend. I would know about it."

"No, you wouldn't," Gabe looks at her over his book. "You're his annoying, mouthy little sister. He's not obligated to tell you anything about his love life."

"B-But..." Ronnie sputters. "Surely, he would tell our parents if he has an understanding with someone. It's tradition."

"Maybe he doesn't have an understanding," Gabe smirks at her languidly, chucking her chin idly. "Maybe it's just for fun."

Ronnie is flustered and he and Al are trying to best block out this conversation. Gabe has always been the most worldly of them all, able to speak about topics they shouldn't even be thinking of yet.

Ronnie recovers slightly and crosses her arms over her chest, trying to regain her composure. "Well, regardless whether there's a girl or not, our parents insisted he come with us despite his objections."

"There's a girl," Gabe insists. "I'll bet you five galleons."

Ronnie glares at him and shakes his hand. "It's a deal, Zabini."

Scorpius just chuckles to himself as he wins against Al again.

* * *

He walks down the length of the carriage, feeling a sense of déjà vu as he does so. He is restless and searching for that one unattainable thing again, that feeling of waking up from a long slumber. He remembers the girl with red hair in the bookshop and feels a deep longing in his chest cavity like a dying, hairy heart aching to be healed.

He stops as a compartment door slides open, a tall, blonde girl, one of the Weasley-Delacour girls steps out and without glancing at him stalks away in the opposite direction. She looks angry, face flushed, blue eyes blazing with fury, her fists clenched.

He waits for another minute before Theo Nott, Ronnie's older brother, comes out of the same compartment, looking like a most miserable man. Theo's blue eyes widen at the sight of him before the older boy straightens and stares him down.

"Can you keep what you saw quiet?" Theo intones neutrally but he can see the signs of agitation easily. "What's your price, Malfoy?"

* * *

He makes his way back to the compartment and doesn't say anything. Ronnie still looks annoyed with Gabe for insinuating things about her precious, perfect older brother while Gabe ignores her in lieu of explaining variations of the Lumos spell to Al who looks desperate to escape. He takes his seat beside Al and keeps quiet through the rest of the train ride.

It's only when they're getting off that he can feel that familiar restlessness try to overtake him. Al is waving and running towards his family and he sees that right shock of red hair, the green eyes like her father's, her brother's and how small she is as stays practically manacled to her mother's side.

 _Take, take, take,_ that taunting voice repeats.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. _No._

He will wait. Now is not the time yet.

He repeats his House words, _Sanctimonia Vincet Semper._

Malfoys will _always_ conquer.

* * *

 **For Bree (queenchesh) for being my most loyal reader.**

 **This was supposed to be a one-shot but I got carried away because I really enjoyed writing the new generation Slytherins and I want to develop their characterizations and relationships as I delve more into this mythology I'm writing. The Scorpius/Lily Luna relationship will develop over the next few chapters.**

 **This is set in the same universe as my Louis/Rose fic, _my blood is all i see (as you sail from me)_. Rose's middle name Perdita comes from he daughter of Hermione in Shakespeare's _A Winter's Tale_. Title comes from the song Nature's Law (Draft One) by Embrace. The dragon mentioned in the story Lucius tells Scorpius is the Antipodean Opaleye found in _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_. The fairy tales mentioned The Fountain of Fair Fortune and The Warlock's Hairy Heart can be found in _Tales of Beadle the Bard_. Many thanks to the HP Lexicon.**

 **This was largely inspired by RZZMG's _Opaleye: A Dragon's Love_ for the Malfoy family's mythology, Colubrina's _The Green Girl_ and _The Muddy Princess_ , ShayaLonnie's _Presque Tojours Pur_ for the Pureblood customs and culture. The Potter House motto is taken from ShayaLonnie's _Debt of Time_.**


	2. deux

He regularly writes to Al who regales him with tales of his relatives. He's heard of the Weasley family's size in passing but he never quite comprehended how large it is until Al drops names of his many cousins. The Weasleys apparently multiply like rabbits. Thus, he can barely keep track and he's acquiesced to never knowing all of their names by heart.

He looks forward to Al's offhanded mentions of his little sister. He barely talks about her but Scorpius memorizes any small detail Al randomly gives. He knows her full name now (Lily Luna Potter), who she is named after (her paternal grandmother and godmother) and her favorite food (Pumpkin Pasties) and he craves more. He wants to learn things about her not from a secondary source. He wants to learn the secrets she keeps, young as she is, if there are any.

* * *

Ronnie celebrates her twelfth birthday and regales them with letters of her winter wonderland adventures. She writes mostly with intent to make them envious but he can easily read the loneliness between her words. Ronnie has always been easy for him to read. Unlike, Gabe who was like a hundred-layered onion, Ronnie is easy in comparison. That's why he knows that when Ronnie jokes about her older brother's unending sulking during their trip, she is really not amused at all.

He sends her the chocolate gateau she likes best and tells her to not break her leg while skiing. He wouldn't put it past her to injure herself for the attention. She sends back a generic key chain she must've gotten from the gift shop and tells him to fuck off.

* * *

Christmas is a quiet affair. He knows that it hasn't always been so. Years before when "Malfoy" isn't synonymous with "Deatheater", his grandmother had been known to host all sorts of parties in their home from small fêtes to ostentatious balls. Narcissa Malfoy has been and always be the best at throwing a proper Pureblood party. That is before and now, now is a quiet dinner with too much food for their small group.

His maternal grandparents are there, Aether and Quincy Greengrass look sour and bored as usual as they ate their entrée. They hadn't been official Deatheaters, merely some backroom funding for the cause that's never been proven and thus escape the stigma that his paternal side of the family suffers through and this made them quite a bit more "insufferable" as Grandma Cissy calls them behind closed doors, of course.

His father had to pay a sizeable dowry to be able to marry his mother, her own inheritance not even close to the amount the Malfoys had to give. He never feels as close to his mother's family as he does with his father's and it will never quite change.

The only silver lining to having his maternal side over is that Gabe is assuredly also there. While Gabe's father insists on his family spending summers at their estates in Italy, Christmas he agrees to let spend in England, having the world's most awkward family dinner.

Gabe's mother, his Aunt Daphne, looks the perfect Pureblood wife except for the stray eye roll here and there he catches when his Grandma Quinn makes some acidic comment. While Uncle Blaise chats business with his father and Gabe sends Scorpius long-suffering looks.

This is Christmas. It never has and will be festive despite the glittering decorations around the manor. Any outsider could take a tour of the manor and grounds and see the tasteful decorations accompanied by the snow and the white peacocks creating a picturesque winter wonderland and never know the truth.

Beauty is really only on the surface, warmth is for the underbelly.

* * *

"What'd you get Ronnie for Christmas?" Gabe asks as they lounge about in the vast library.

He's seated on the chair nearest to the fireplace while Gabe stands near the large windows and watches the snow falling outside.

"My mum sent her some girly things," He explains. "What did you get her?"

"Muggle make-up," Gabe smirks. "I smuggled it under my nonna's nose."

Scorpius laughs. "Ah, contraband. Ronnie will like that."

"Do you know what Al got her?"

He frowns. "He wanted to get her this cheap bracelet he saw in a Muggle store. He said something about the color if it reminding him of her eyes."

"And you stopped him?"

"Of course," Scorpius shakes his head. "Our little Slytherin unicorn doesn't know about those Pureblood customs yet."

"We must educate him," Gabe insists. "We wouldn't want him stuck with a girl accidentally because he doesn't know any better."

* * *

It's cold in the manor. Grandma Cissy makes sure all the rooms remain nice and toasty with the fireplaces always with a nice fire. Her aging but still graceful bones shiver under the winter frost while his mother smokes sweet-smelling cigarettes and dresses in thick furs. Scorpius wants nothing better to fall asleep next to the fireplace in the library and never wake up.

He is not cold though. Not in the way the women in their home seem to be. He just enjoys being near the fire. He can see the longing in his grandfather and father as well. Every chair near the fireplaces is the most comfortable in the room. He never tells anyone of the contentment he feels when he stares into the fire and listen to a voice only he can hear.

* * *

He finds his friends in their compartment. Ronnie is wearing the strawberry lip gloss Gabe gave her and the dark blue headband from Scorpius' mum. She's chatting away about her Christmas like she hasn't written to them all that time and they let her. She smiles extra wide when Al gives her a packet of some Muggle candy. And well, she's their girl.

* * *

Al squints. "So, no giving jewelry to girls because it'll mean we're…engaged?"

"Not engaged exactly," Gabe explains. "More like an understanding that you will be engaged."

"Betrothed," Scorpius adds. "I think that's the best term."

"Right," Al nods. "No public displays of affection with girls unless their family even though…"

"Dark hole," Gabe tells him. "Do not go there."

"And if I am 'betrothed', all affections must be chaste?"

They both nod at him.

"Wow, it's almost like you're stuck in the Regency era or something," Al smirks. "Like the Austen novels Rosie reads and then sighs dreamily about 'Mr. Darcy'."

"I love it when you talk gibberish, Potter." Gabe says drily.

"And most of you are contracted to marry someone already?" Al shakes his head in disbelief. "Like, you guys are barely twelve."

"It's tradition but most of those contracts end before graduation," Scorpius explains. "You end up thinking of them like siblings after growing up together and end up marrying someone else."

"Who are you two engaged to?"

"My cousin Isabella in Italy," Gabe supplies.

"Some French girl attending Beauxbatons, a relative of the Delacours." Scorpius smiles at Al's grimace. "Yes, Al. It is a tangled web, the Pureblood world."

"I'm kind of glad my family left all that behind," Al confesses. "Not that learning my family's history hasn't been fascinating."

"Fascinating like your family used to own half of Wales?" Gabe raises an eyebrow. "And your great-a-many-grandfather Leo Potter squandered most of it away?"

Al nods. "It's not like I can talk to my family about these things. My siblings aren't that interested and my mum and dad are supportive but don't really see the point."

"The Weasleys never cared for lineage," Gabe tells him. "History to them is inconsequential."

"And their family history isn't as good as the Potters anyway," Scorpius shrugs. "The most exciting thing their family did was have a family member be a Beater for the Cannons back when they were actually good."

* * *

Al invites Rosie to hang out with them one lazy Saturday. Gabe is getting ahead with their Transfiguration course work and Ronnie is arranging the colors of the Muggle candy Al gets her (Skeebles?) into nice little color-coded rows when Al drags his cousin into their dorm room.

"-you sure the lake isn't going to collapse on us?"

"Hasn't happened yet," Gabe says absently, not looking up from his reading. "But who knows. Maybe Longbottom decides he doesn't want Slytherin House to exist anymore and it'll be like that story with the Great Flood, just without the arc."

"The Headmaster wouldn't do that," Rosie argues. "Just because your House has produced some evil individuals, doesn't mean you're all bad…mostly."

Al rolls his eyes with a grin. "You warm my heart, cousin."

"What a lovely thought," Ronnie scoffs but gets to her feet with the sweetest smile they've ever seen on her. It makes them nervous. She steps forward and offers her hand to Rosie. "Veronica Laurel Nott."

Rosie doesn't hesitate and shakes her hand, "Rose Perdita Weasley,"

Ronnie's voice is so sickly sweet. "So nice to meet you,"

"Nice to meet you too," Rosie doesn't back down and returns with equal sweetness. "Do you sleep here with the boys?"

"Of course not. I have a room all to myself."Ronnie gives a forlorn sigh. "No other Slytherin girls in our year, you see."

"Must be lonely."

"I make do." Ronnie turns to us with a smug smirk and a gleam in her blue eyes. "I call dibs on Rosie as my new best friend!"

They all just nod along to afraid to speak. Ronnie grabs Rosie's hand and drags her to sit on Al's bed and start chattering away. The boys exchange looks. _Girls are scary_ , they silently tell each other.

* * *

"How do you have an invisibility cloak?" Scorpius hisses at him underneath said cloak. "And how come you only showed it to us now?"

"It's a family heirloom," Al explains. "James usually has it but he let me have it for the week since it's my birthday."

"And do you have any other nifty little heirlooms we should know about?" Gabe prods.

"Well, there's this map-"

"Ssh! It's Filch!" Ronnie shrieks and they all keep still, not making a sound.

Scorpius think Al isn't even breathing beside him. They all watch Filch walk away with Mrs. Norris II who stopped for a moment and stared right at them as if she could see underneath the cloak and nearly gives them all simultaneous heart attacks. They all give relieved sighs as she follows Filch and they continue their trek.

"Why exactly are we all going together anyway?" Scorpius asks. "It's a little crowded underneath this thing with all four of us."

"You are not leaving me in the dormitories," Ronnie pinches his side, making him grunt at her. "I already have to sleep by myself."

"Julien's with you," Scorpius returns.

"She's an owl!"

"Better than nothing,"

Ronnie pinches him again and he retaliates by pinching her back, prompting a mini pinching fest under the cloak that makes walking harder than it already is. Al tells them to stop but it's only when Gabe finally has enough and gets in between them, pushing Ronnie towards Al instead that they do.

Ronnie moves closer to Al as they walk through a darker part of the corridor, almost molding her small body against his, wrapping her arms around him and clutching the cotton material of his shirt and Scorpius swears Al has stopped breathing again. He shares a glance with Gabe and says nothing.

* * *

"How do you know how to get in the kitchens?" Scorpius demands as Al tickles the pear and they wince as it lets out a giggle before the portrait hole opens.

"My family-"

"Is what? The Wizarding mafia?"

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Scor," Ronnie pinches him again. "Just enjoy the perks of having a Potter as our friend."

"Wizarding royalty," Gabe smirks at Al. "His equine highness, Prince Al Potter,"

Al looks at them confused. "Equine? What?"

* * *

Al glares at the stuffed unicorn toy sitting on his bed, smiling at him with its rainbow mane and didn't think twice about wrestling Scorpius to the floor to strangle him. "Why – are –you –such –prats?"

Gabe is laughing too hard on his bed to be of any help as Scorpius tries to push Al off him.

"It's a joke, Potter!" Scorpius pushes at him. "Get a grip!"

"I am not a unicorn!"

"Well, you certainly won't like what I got you then,"

They all look at the doorway to see Ronnie and Rosie, the latter with a present wrapped in gold and green wrapper. Five minutes later, Rosie is shrieking giddily as Al chases her around the room. Ronnie, Gabe, and Scorpius are on the floor, laughing at the _My Little Pony_ toys.

"I'm going to kill all of you!" Al shouts and they just laugh harder.

* * *

Valentine's Day is a weird holiday when you're eleven. Technically, you are gradually being pushed towards adolescence, wanting to accept it and at the same time you just want to stay put and tell puberty to bugger off. Thus, on Tuesday morning, a day most students would spend in a lethargic haze, several owls fly in depositing Valentine's and gifts. Some people are ecstatic, some bemused and some just don't care. Scorpius is in the third category as he eats his chocolate banana waffles with his mind still in bed.

He only looks up from slow bites when his eagle owl, Huginn, and Gabe's owl, its brother, Muninn, fly in with letters and care packages from home. Grandma Cissy has sent them a large box of sweets – Cauldron Cakes for Gabe, Chocoballs for Ronnie, Licorice Wands for Al, and Pepper Imps for Scorpius. He gets a letter from his mum and dad and so does Gabe, who quickly slides the letter into his pocket.

Ronnie's barn owl comes a bit late with a small bouquet of unusual pink flowers that make her face light up.

"Who are they from?" Al asks, oddly timid, eyeing the pretty flowers.

"My dad," She replies proudly. "He always sends me flowers on my birthday and Valentine's day."

"Oh," Al looks pleased and pokes one of the flowers with a finger. "What flowers are these?"

"Mountain laurels," She explains. "Like my middle name. My dad-"

"Veronica," a familiar voice says.

We all look up to see Theo standing behind her and Al. It's unusual to see the Prefect stopping by to chat with First Years even if one of them is his little sister. Theo is usually seen with his own friends and rarely interacted with Ronnie aside from making sure no one bothers her and that she always has a compartment on the train and a carriage to ride in. He doesn't forget Ronnie but she isn't his priority either.

"Theo?" Ronnie asks, hesitantly, as confused as they all are.

"I need to borrow your owl," He explains evenly. "I have a package I need to send."

"But you have your own owl."

"I can't use Voltaire,"

"Why not?"

He looks a little annoyed, breaking the usual composure he has. "Veronica, just lend me the owl."

"But-"

"Veronica," He looks sterner more like his and Ronnie's father then. "I can't explain."

Ronnie is quiet and her small hands are crushing one of the pretty mountain laurels in her fists. She inhales and exhales slowly before nodding. "I'll put her in her cage and you can take her after breakfast."

He nods and his expression softens. He even smiles a little and pats her head gently before walking away and back to his seat in the middle of the table with his friends.

"What was that about?" Al asks.

Ronnie just shrugs and throws the crushed petals in her hands on the table. The flowers are all ruined now.

* * *

It's not unusual to have Rosie in their dormitory. It usually puts Ronnie in a better mood as "it evens out the odds for the girls", she likes to say. However, Ronnie has been in a foul mood since breakfast and is uncharacteristically quiet as she lounges on Al's bed, staring up into the ceiling and ignoring any attempts they try to talk to her. Not even Rosie's presence cheers her up.

Rosie and Gabe are practicing the Levitation Charm on his bed with feathers from a wrecked old pillow they found in one of the wardrobes. Al is beside her on the bed, looking extremely nervous as he musters up the courage to speak.

"Ronnie…" He almost stutters. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"I don't want to talk," She replies calmly, closing her eyes.

"Yeah, but I need to talk to you."

"What is it about and why can't we talk here?"

Al hesitates before expounding. "Because everyone else is here."

She gives an exasperated sigh and gets up from the bed, making a show of putting on her shoes with great annoyance and effort. She practically stomps out of their dorm and to the Common Room, probably to go to her own room so they will be alone.

Scorpius watches the door and waits. Rosie and Gabe stop levitating the feathers and are almost holding their breath too. A minute passes then another, an hour could've gone by for all they know.

Al and Ronnie return looking in better spirits and Ronnie practically skips to Gabe's bed and takes a seat beside Rosie. She's back to her talkative, lively self and it relieves them all. A flash of blue at her wrist makes Scorpius pause and he turns to Al shaking his head. The Potter boy ignores him and reaches for the stack of superhero comics underneath his bed.

* * *

It's the end of the school year and they're waiting outside for the carriages. Ronnie is off somewhere talking with her brother and Rosie is with her Gryffindor friends, leaving him, Al and Gabe standing in line.

"I told her it means nothing," Al tells Scorpius, not facing him. "I'm talking about the bracelet."

"It doesn't mean nothing in our world, Al," He returns. "We explained that to you."

"They're just cheap plastic beads…"

He shakes his head. "It's not the cost that matters."

"I just wanted to make her smile again," Al sighs. "She agreed it means nothing."

"She's still wearing it," Scorpius finally meets his friend's eye. " _That_ means something."

"We're just kids," Al presses on. "It should mean nothing. You don't meet the love of your life at eleven."

"And sometimes you do," Gabe finally speaks. "Isn't that what happened to your grandparents _and_ your parents?"

Al winces. "That's different."

"Because they're not Slytherins? Not Purebloods?"Gabe scoffs. "Because they weren't traded like cattle for politics and money? Because with them it was _true love_?"

Al scowls at them and looks down at the ground, fists clenched. "It means nothing."

"Alright," Scorpius decides to let him off the hook. _For now_. "It means nothing."

* * *

Al practically drags Scorpius to meet his family, tugging on the other boy's arm with surprising strength for someone so scrawny. Scorpius can't speak when they stop in front of Harry Potter, The-Man-Who-Lived, who shouldn't look intimidating at all with his round glasses and the grey at his temples. He looks like any other dad there to pick up his child. And yet, maybe it's the knowledge of what this man has done that makes him so terrifying to be in front of.

His wife, Ginny Potter, is a pretty woman with red hair and to her side is that small bright girl he's been keeping at the back of his mind because the simple thought of her consumes him. She's still small and quiet, practically hiding behind her mother but her green eyes are staring into his and he feels lost. _You don't meet the love of your life at eleven_ , he remembers Al saying.

"-this is Scorpius Malfoy,"

He nearly jumps when Al pats him on the shoulder and he turns to meet his friend's famous father in the eye. "An honor to meet you, Mr. Potter," He says respectfully but not meek.

He can't shake off his grandfather's lessons even if he tries.

"It's nice to meet you too, Scorpius," Harry Potter is smiling at him and it feels a bit like getting a high-five from Merlin. "You look just like your father when we were your age."

He knows that. His Grandma Cissy brings out the photo albums on some days when she feels nostalgic after some elf wine.

Mrs. Potter has yet to speak and has bend down to whisper something in her daughter's ear. The small girl looks hesitant before nodding and moves around to be in front of her mother instead. Scorpius is enthralled again.

"Al's told us stories about you," Mrs. Potter tells him. "Are you going to play Quidditch like your father did?"

"If I'm lucky to get on the team, Mrs. Potter," He gives her a small smile. "I'd like to try out for Seeker next year."

"If you can beat me for the position," Al quips and elbows him.

He wants to retaliate but the boy's parents are watching. He files away his revenge for later.

"We'll just have to see who'll be the better Seeker then," Mr. Potter concludes. "And Lily here will be starting school next year as well so I expect you to look after if she ends up in your House."

Mrs. Potter looks skeptically at him. "If she doesn't end up in Gryffindor?"

"Like Albus," Mr. Potter returns. "She could be in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. Maybe even Hufflepuff."

Mrs. Potter laughs. "Hufflepuff? Oh, it'd clash with her hair."

Scorpius is practically beaming now and he's trying his best to hide it. The entire conversation is repeating in his head - _Lily. Next year. Slytherin._ The fates listened to his request about Al maybe they'd do it again for him.

* * *

 **I named Grandpa Greengrass "Aether" as in Greek mythology some sources say he is the father or Uranus, making him the Titans', including Hyperion's, grandfather. I named** **Grandma Greengrass "Quincy" as a tribute to J.K. Rowling's draft where Daphne's name is originally "Queenie".**

 **The Mountain Laurel in flower language means "ambition" and the Laurel tree means "Glory" and is the plant of victors and intellectuals. I chose "Laurel" as Ronnie's middle name as a tribute to her mother who has a floral name but also to both her parents for being Slytherin alum.**

 **Ronnie has her own bedroom because there are no other Slytherin girls in her year. The Slytherins in Draco's year mosty married each other. Draco married Astoria Greengrass and had Scorpius. Blaise Zabini married Daphne Greengrass and had Gabriel. Theodore Nott married Pansy Parkinson and had Theo and Ronnie. Gregory Goyle married Millicent Bulstrode and sent their child to Durmstrang. Tracey Davis married outside of Slytherin. The older Slytherins' kids are Theo's classmates.**

 **I imagined McGonagall retiring from teaching as she is getting on in age and after nineteen years probably wanted to retire. I chose Neville Longbottom as the new Headmaster because not only do I think him deserving and I greatly admire him but because there will be much gushing about him in later chapters. I blame Matthew Lewis' spread in Attitude Magazine. I agree with J.K. Rowling that** **he should've warned us in advance.**

 **"Nonna" is Italian for grandmother. "Huginn and Muninn" are the names of Odin's ravens in Norse Mythology who fly all over the world and bring knowledge to Odin. Their names mean "thought" and "memory/mind" respectively. Ronnie's and Theo's owls are named after friends of mine. Yes, I have a friend named "Voltaire".**

 **The Slytherins' birthdays are the birthdays of my friends and family. Ronnie's is December 16th, Al's is January 26th, Gabe's is March 23rd and Scor's is April 22nd. The current school year is 2016-2017. Valentine's Day in 2017 is on a Tuesday.**

 **The muggle candy Al sends Ronnie is "Skittles" if you guessed it right. Scorpius doesn't know much about Muggle sweets. All the other sweets mentioned are actual Wizarding sweets. Pepper Imps as small black candies that make you breathe fire. Thanks so much to the HP Lexicon.**


	3. trois

He has a large four layered red velvet cake for his birthday with mint green butter cream frosting and little candy flower petals that look like scales. His mother worked on it for hours, baking being one of her favorite hobbies, and he kisses her on the cheek in gratitude when he sees it. It tastes wonderful and he closes his eyes with each bite. After they've had their fill and washed it down with some tea, they adjourn to one of the drawing rooms where he opens a small pile of presents.

His father gives him a new broom, the latest Firebolt edition, that makes him grin brightly and his mother gives him a practice snitch to accompany it.

"For when you get on the team," His father tells him and it makes something inside of him swell he feels he might implode.

"You take after your father, so in love with flying and Quidditch," His mother rolls her blue eyes but smiles softly and leans over to pat him on the cheek. "Keep safe. I don't want you spending the entire year in the infirmary, do you hear me?"

Grandma Cissy gives him a cashmere sweater from Paris and it feels so soft he fears it might fall apart in his hands.

"To keep you warm," She says. "That old castle can get so drafty."

Lastly, Grandpa Lucius gives him a journal, bound in black dragon leather, closed by a silver clasp.

"For when your thoughts need a place to rest," His grandfather explains. "I've put a few strong privacy charms on them in case you wouldn't want anyone to read what you write in it."

He thanks them all politely before heading up to his room. His friends owls had come earlier with their own presents for him. Gabe sends some expensive quills. Al sends muggle candy that he hides at the back of his drawer. Ronnie sends a snow globe of Hogwarts she must've bought from Hogsmeade.

He reads her handwriting on the scented parchment and smiles.

 _We will all be with each other soon enough, loser. Stop moping like I know you are. – Ronnie_

* * *

Summer days tend to blend together to a point whole weeks go by without you noticing too much. His mother takes him out to Diagon Alley for shopping and some ice cream on the really hot days.

Grandma Cissy teaches him Chopin on the piano forte and Grandpa Lucius gives him horseback riding lessons around the vast grounds of the manor.

And some nights, he sits beside his father in the library reading in front of the fireplace.

His father is a vast reader, from philosophy to magical theory and from old journals to fairy tale books. His father reads and reads the hours away and Scorpius reads the books he finishes. Most tend to be too much for his comprehension but he tries. He can never seem to figure out his father he so dearly wants to understand.

His father is a quiet man and he has heard that it hasn't always been the case. He wonders about the boy his father used to be and the snippets he hears of the terrors his family faced in their very manor intrigue him. He knows he will learn of it someday, not all but most, in history books and from professors who experienced it. His family refuses to tell him what they have seen and it scares him.

He can't ask. He will not ask. He doesn't think he wants the answers. Still, he will keep re-reading _The Wizard's Hairy Heart_ and wonder.

* * *

He has the dreams again of a world on fire. He thinks he hears a rumbling in the background, like the dark laugh of a large creature. It makes him gasp as he awakens, his sheets soaked in sweat. He stares up into ceiling of his bedroom and breathes, letting air enter his stuttering lungs.

He has never felt warmer as he waits for his body to cool down. He can't help but closes his eyes and think of her. He remembers auburn hair and green eyes, little hands clutching her mother's skirt. He thinks of her name and repeats in his head until the syllables mash together and stop making sense.

 _Silly boy._ That voice chuckles. _Silly, stupid boy._

* * *

Ronnie has spent most of her summer in her family's property in Athens and sometimes he can smell the sun in her letters. Her last letter for the summer is the most important as she confides in him.

 _Theo leaves the house a lot and citing that he wants to go sightseeing alone. One day, I snuck out and followed him and found him meeting up with a girl. She's one of the Delacour-Weasley girls, those insanely beautiful part Veelas. I've never seen his face light up like that before when he saw her._

He remembers catching them leaving that compartment all those months ago and Theo offering him anything to keep his mouth shut. And Scorpius has, not telling a soul, not even his worried little sister.

 _I don't know why he won't just tell our parents about her. He's contracted to this girl from Durmstrang but he can easily get out of it. Mum and Dad adore him and would do anything to keep him happy. He just needs to tell us and he can be with her._

He can read between the lines and see the questions she's really asking. Why won't he tell her? Why does he need to hide it from her? He frowns but writes back.

 _Maybe it's not him that won't tell. Maybe it's her._

* * *

Excess energy pulses underneath his skin, making him antsy as he sits at the compartment he shares with his friends. Gabe's hair is cut shorter and Ronnie's dark hair is longer. He runs his fingers through his blond fringe as he waits for Al to appear. He distantly saw him and the rest of the Potters earlier and is now vaguely wondering if the Potters decided that they'd rather not send their youngest child to Hogwarts. Maybe they opted for Beauxbatons or worse, for that American Wizarding school, Ilvermorny, in a completely different continent.

He scowls at the horrid thought and ignores his friends' inquiring looks. Gabe's piercing brown eyes are watching him curiously and Ronnie looks ready to start interrogating him when the compartment door slides open and Al appears with two redheads in tow. His heart is beating faster in anticipation as Rosie pushes Al out of the way to take a seat beside Ronnie and Al guides tiny Lily inside. She looks so small, a little fowl with deep red hair.

Al leads her to take a seat beside him, placing himself between her and Scorpius. He smiles reassuringly at his little sister before turning to his friends. "Guys, this is my little sister, Lily. She's a First Year."

They watch the youngest Potter with interest as Al continues the introductions. "Lily, these are my friends. That's Gabe, Ronnie and you've met Scor."

"Hi." She says in such a small voice, Scorpius wonders if he imagined it.

Gabe nods at her but it's Ronnie who smiles warmly and waves. Lily blinks at the brunette before turning back to Al and whispering something in his ear. Al turns a nice shade of pink, a coughing fit suddenly attacking him as he shakes his head quickly at his sister. The little girl blinks again at him before looking past him to smile back at Ronnie.

Scorpius is amused at this interaction but ignores it to try and talk to the girl who has been haunting him for a year now. He clears his throat and offers his hand to Lily. "Hello. It's very nice to meet you."

Lily, unsure, moves to take his hand and Al glares when he realizes Scor is about to kiss her hand and elbows him abruptly.

"None of that Pureblood tripe," Al hisses.

Scorpius glares back at him. "I was just being polite."

Al rolls his eyes but nods, like allowing this is such a laborious thing. Scor takes Lily's tiny hand and kisses her knuckles lightly. Lily turns a bright red, clashing with her hair and snatches her hand back, cradling it in her nap. He blinks at the spark of lightning in him her touch had sent through him and stares into her terrified green eyes. _She finally knows_.

* * *

Al looks wistful as he has to leave Lily for the traditional boat ride for the First Years. Lily looks more lively than Scorpius has ever seen her, practically skipping away with Hagrid as Al turns away for them to get in their carriage. Rosie is not with them, opting to ride with her friends instead. Scorpius caught a glimpse of identical twin boys and a blonde girl before he sees Al glaring at an older version of himself sans glasses.

James Potter is only a year older than them but is a few inches taller, growing into manhood already. He has the Potter dark hair and their mother's brown eyes but what made James so different from Al is the way he carries himself. James Potter is an arrogant prat who considers himself the life of the party. His father's fame has clearly gone to his head, thinking he can literally get away with anything, including stealing a carriage from his younger brother.

"Just give it up, Albus," James shoves Al, not too lightly with a mean grin. "Don't make me hurt you."

Al glares his older brother down. "No. This carriage is ours. Go and find another one."

"Hanging out with the snakes give you a backbone, little brother?" James turns to them and his mean grin widens when he sees Ronnie. "Is that your girlfriend? The one you got that stupid bracelet for? Are you trying to be all brave for her, little brother?"

"Don't be a git," Al glares at him more viciously. "Just leave."

"Not a chance, _little_ brother," James shoves him again. "What are you gonna do? You snakes are all hiss and no bite."

"Snakes are quiet when they bite," Gabe steps up, looking more intimidating than any twelve-year-old should be. "And not all need to bite. Some of them just wrap themselves around their prey so tightly they break bones."

Scorpius steps forward as well. "And then they swallow them whole."

James is still not getting the memo and gives them that fucking annoying grin. "You trying to scare me? Really?"

"No," Gabe shakes his head. "We're making you a promise."

"And what's that?"

"Hurt us," Scorpius stares him down. "And we will destroy you."

"You wouldn't," James scoffs. "You _can't_."

"We're the Deatheaters' offspring, remember?" Ronnie moves until she is beside Al, taking his hand silently in hers. "What we will and can do is negotiable."

"Nothing breaks us," Scorpius finishes. "Now, run along."

James stares at all of them, looking confused and a little afraid before turning around and walking away. He stops after a few steps and looks back at Al. "Are you one of them now, Albus?"

Al meets his stare without blinking. "Yes."

* * *

Al nearly has a heart attack when Lily enters the Great Hall soaking wet. Scorpius blinks in confusion at Lily's state. Her robes clinging to her, practically dragging on the floors as she walked, eyes bright, smile wide as she is in awe at the enchanted ceiling. The other little redheads beside her who must be family are also dripping wet but share her enthusiasm.

Scorpius has the urge to take of his robe and offer it to Lily who must be cold in her wet attire but he is more than surprised when James stands up from the Gryffindor table rushes over to her and stops her walking with the other First Years. The older Potter wraps his robe, too large on her small frame, with a tenderness that seems unlike him. He is nearly kneeling as he crouches down and tugs wet strands of her bright hair behind her ears. He mutters something to her, a soft gleam in his eyes, that makes her laugh.

Scorpius turns to Al who is trying to remain stoic but their Slytherin unicorn is still easy to read for those who know how to look. "Your brother is confusing." He remarks.

"James is James," Al's reply is cryptic at best. "He acts according to his moods."

"So he's always in the mood to be an arse to you but is always in a mood to be all brotherly to your sister?" Scorpius shakes his head. "I don't get it."

Al smiles slightly. "You're an only child, mate. It's hard to explain."

"Try me."

Al is quiet for a moment, looking down at the floor before explaining slowly. 'Siblings can be cruel to each other…but not always."

Scorpius wants to ask more but Lily is called up to be Sorted and he needs to watch this. His heart beats quickly in his chest to the point he can almost hear the thrumming of it underneath his skin, his blood warm. He can't look away from the little girl on that old stool with that hideous ancient hat on her head. He almost stops breathing when the hat begins to speak.

Scorpius watches with a great deal of disappointment, confusion and even worry as Lily is eating dinner at the Hufflepuff table. And the other redheaded girl with them earlier – _Lucy_ , as Al said her name is – is seated beside her. Rosie's younger brother, Hugo, is with her at the Gryffindor table with James there looking bemused. Meanwhie, Al looks sort of relieved.

"You disappointed?" Scorpius asks. "That she's not in Slytherin."

"I expected Gryffindor," Al shrugs. "Everyone in my family usually ended up there besides me and Uncle Bill's kids."

"And now your sister is in Hufflepuff,"

"Along with Lucy," Al's sudden grin is more smirk than anything, looking completely mischievous and Scorpius is kind of delighted to see they're clearly robbing off on their token unicorn. He raises his goblet of pumpkin juice slightly. "To breaking tradition,"

Gabe raises his goblet in return. "To the Weasleys finally getting interesting,"

Al lowers his goblet. "You know, I've been thinking, our family is not _that_ boring. My mom played for the Harpies and my Uncle George-"

"Oh just shut up, Al," Ronnie clinks her goblet against his with a smirk.

Al just sighs exasperatedly.

* * *

"What are you doing here, Rosie?" Al asks when Rosie appears at their dormitory in her footie pajamas with a small bag in hand.

While it isn't uncommon to have Rosie around as she's somehow assimilated herself with them almost as well as Al has, having her over at this late hour is new considering she's a bit of stickler when it comes to rules like curfew.

Ronnie glares at them something fierce and crosses her arms over her chest. She is dressed in her pale pink nightgown with little pink flowers already but this somehow doesn't diminish the effect. "We are starting a new tradition. For the first week of every year, Rosie will sleep with me in my room."

Scorpius asks, "Why?"

Ronnie looks at him like he is simple. "Because I say so,"

"We were going to invite Lily but that meant we'd have to invite Lucy. And that would mean we would have to invite her sisters and it goes on and on," Rosie shrugs. "It's just the two of us then."

"I hate to sound un-Slytherin," Scorpius finally speaks. "But this has to be against the rules and what will you do if the professors find out?"

"Point out that my roommate is the daughter of two war heroes and one of my friends is the son of Harry Potter. No one will try to stop me then. And if they do-" Ronnie narrowed her blue eyes. "-I will casually remind them who my grandfather is and why he is banned from fifty countries."

They all remain quiet as Ronnie grabbed Rosie's hand and practically skipped out of their dorm. Al is looking terribly baffled and finally asks after the silence has stretched on enough, "Is her grandfather really banned from fifty countries?"

"Including Antarctica for some reason," Gabe just replies vaguely.

* * *

Their first class is Herbology and they all try to keep themselves awake as the school's Headmaster,Professor Longbottom, leans beside his desk as they enter the Greenhouse. They have the class with the Gryffindors and Ronnie has taken advantage of this by making Rosie sit with them. They both stop before sitting down to stare straight at their Professor being sitting down giggling to each other. They're whispering things while sneaking glances at Professor Longbottom who starts the class and Scorpius frowns at them.

A few of the other girls are doing this as well and he leans over to say to Gabe, "Why are the girls acting odd?"

"They're twittering over Longbottom," Gabe just tells him with a pointed look. "Apparently, there's something attractive about him to them. Merlin only knows why."

Scorpius frowns even more and looks up as their Professor talks, assessing the man. He's standing tall but his pose is still mostly casual putting the class at ease. His hair is dark and cut short, somewhat thick eyebrows framing eyes that are a light hazel color that look green due to the sunlight hitting the Greenhouse glass walls, a long nose, a somewhat strong jaw line with stubble and slightly crooked but white teeth. His slightly large ears can't even detract from the image he is presenting. Sturdy, safe, kind and honest-

"-and so hot," Ronnie giggles a little too loudly. "We should call him Professor Hot Arse instead."

"Rosie!" Al whispers in shock at them. "That's Uncle Neville!"

"Not by blood," Ronnie interrupts with a saucy smile.

"He's married, anyway," Rosie explains to her. "To Aunt Hannah."

"And they have a son," Al adds with an annoyed look.

This just delights Ronnie even more. "Oh! What's his name?"

"Frankie," Rosie answers. "He's in Dominique's year so he's in Sixth Year."

"Oh, same as my brother,"

Scorpius remembers Ronnie's letters over the summer- _She's one of the Delacour-Weasley girls, those insanely beautiful part Veelas_ – and now he has a name to go with her brother's secret.

 _Dominique_.

* * *

Al's broom arrives during breakfast the next day, the latest Nimbus edition and practically everyone turns to gawk as Al opens his package, fingers carefully gliding over polished wood.

The note that comes with it is simple.

 _Good luck getting on the Quidditch team!_

– _Mum and Dad_

* * *

Scorpius finds Theo Nott after dinner, having left his friends to go start with his Prefect rounds. The older boy stops and raises an eyebrow when he sees him. He doesn't relax as Scorpius tries to steel his spine. Theo is older and more intimating, an aura of danger to him that seems inherent and he remembers - _I've never seen his face light up like that before when he saw her._

"I kept my mouth shut about the Veela girl," He finally speaks. "You owe me a favor and now I'm collecting."

Theo narrows his blue eyes at him but nods.

It's a Sunday and they're at the Quidditch Pitch on a day that is miraculously free of any players around. Theo has charmed the ground to sand and they're hovering a few feet off the ground on their brooms.

"You've got a great broom and you're a decent flyer," Theo tells him. "You don't need me to teach you."

"I can't just be decent," Scorpius retorts. "I have to be…better."

"If you don't get in, you can try again next year." Theo shakes his head. "You're only a Second Year. You'll get your turn."

"I need to get on the team," Scorpius insists. "My father was in his Second Year when he made the team."

"And most people thought he bought his way in," The older boy cocks an eyebrow. "Thank your grandfather for the new brooms, will you?"

Scorpius flushes involuntarily as he remembers the donation his grandfather made the previous year to the Slytherin Quidditch team, supplying new top of the line brooms. His grandfather is no longer Governor but that doesn't mean he stopped caring about his old House.

"Most people will think I bought my way in too and I don't want that," Scorpius expounds. "I want to earn it. I want to make the team because I'm the best."

"Which is why you used my debt to you for me to train you instead of assuring I'd pick you as Seeker," Theo stares at him quizzically. "Awfully noble of you, Malfoy."

"I need to earn it," Scorpius repeats.

"Is this because the Potter boy is also trying out?"

He hesitates but nods.

"Isn't he your friend?"

"Yes," Scorpius grips the handle of his broom more tightly. "But I want this more."

* * *

He's making his way back from the Quidditch Pitch. Theo hadn't been merciful with him but he expected him not to be. He doesn't want to be given leeway. He wants to be the best even at the cost of bruises and aching muscles.

He stops when he sees Lily coming from the end of the hallway with her cousin, Lucy. She's talking with the other redhead about something, smiling brightly, before she sees him and stops as well. Lucy asks her what's wrong and tugging on her sleeve to get her attention but the youngest Potter is still. He sees the apprehension and fear in her eyes before she turns around and runs as fast as her little legs can carry her.

Lucy is started, turning to glance at him in complete bewilderment before going after her cousin. "Lily, wait!"

Scorpius looks down at the ground, clutching the handle of his broom tighter until he thinks he could almost break the wood in his grip. His heart is aching in his chest, like a raw festering wound and he breathes in and out slowly, trying to will the pain to melt away.

"Greatness demands sacrifice, pain," His grandfather told him once.

But what else demands such agony? He doesn't believe he can take it.

* * *

 **J.K. Rowling has finally revealed on Pottermore that the American Wizarding school is called "Ilvermorny" and is situated in New York. Some used to mistake Salem Witches' Institute for it but it's more like a women's league than anything according to J.K. Rowling.**

 **James seems like a jerk because I imagined him to be an entitled little shite whose ego got a bit too big with his dad's War Hero status. However, we never see James fully and only from Scorpius' perspective so our view on him is quite limited. I decided to place Lily in Hufflepuff on a whim. This way, the Weasleys have members in every House. Hurray for school domination!**

 **There isn't much Scorpius/Lily interaction because I needed to develop Scorpius more and Lily right now is wary of him. She's observant and smart and knows there's something off about him and doesn't want to get near him yet. This will not last forever, of course.**

 **Long Live Professor Hot Arse, the sexual awakening for the next generation girls (and some boys).**


End file.
